


We Found a Place

by karrenia_rune



Category: Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening - Robert Frost, Winnie-the-Pooh - A. A. Milne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-29
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-10-25 09:36:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10761558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenia_rune/pseuds/karrenia_rune





	We Found a Place

Disclaimer: Winnie the Pooh and all the characters that appear here are the original creation of A.A Milne. They are not mine.  
The same goes for the Robert Frost poem or whoever owns his estate now. Ackerly the courier is my own creation.

"We Found a Place"

The rider was alone on the road that sometimes paralleled the old forest, known as the Hundred Acre Wood; at other times it verged wide of the woods like a playful otter, now sidling up close to then abruptly darting away again. 

In other circumstances the rider might have found this amusing but it was late and he was cold. The early winter had caught him by surprise and he had debated whether or not to take time out of his travels to stop and find shelter. The snow that had been only a light flaky snowfall when he had set out that morning had now become increasingly thick and the snow on the ground was now up to his horse's withers. He patted the piebald horse on its neck and leaned down to softly whisper encouraging words into her ear. :"There, there," Melody, it'll be all right, reaching into his saddle bag to give her a carrot. Melody took the carrot Restlessly shook her head from side to side. She gave her harness bells a shake as if asking if there is some mistake. The only other sound's the sweep of wind and downy flake.

The rider, a courier for the most important duke in the region knew that part of his job involved getting important news and documents that he carried in the leather tooled-scroll-case back and forth in time.  
He'd been very good at his job which is why the duke had entrusted him with the documents that would bring an end to a long-standing feud between two families that lived at either end the Hundred Acre Wood; an alliance that would come about by the marriage of the eldest daughter of the Duke of the North and the eldest son of the Earl of the West.

He shivered again and snow that had been hovering on the edge of a frost-kissed branch of one of the hundreds of trees in the clearing in which he had stopped, slipped down, seemingly of it its own accord and laughably evaded his warm fur-lined hood and slithered down his neck.

He sputtered and cast about for a place to make a camp. The moon overhead was now sailing about in a net of clouds and it was getting dark.  
Making sure Melody was secure by tying her reins about a tree branch and had enough water and hay from his saddle-bags he began to prepare his own campsite for advancing evening.  
*****  
The locals come out to investigate out of curiosity.

"What do you think it is?" Roo whispered loudly to his best friend. Roo, by far the smallest felt more than a little fear by the arrival of a stranger so, while, he tried to be unobtrusive about it, sidled up a bit closer to Pooh. 

"Well, I can't say for sure, Roo, but it makes an awful lot of noise. So I reckon there might be more than one of them out there," replied Pooh with excitement. In the back of his mind, he thought' How wonderful, another adventure. We haven't had one of those for a good long spell.'

"Oh, Oh, do you think it might dangerous? I think it might be dangerous. I say! We should turn back," Eyeore declared.

"Oh, come now! Pooh exclaimed while they were still some distance from the source of the noise and the yellow-red flickering of the campfire through breaks in the trees. "Chin up, old bean. Where's your sense of adventure?"  
Just as Eeyore was formulating a response they were interrupted by the arrival of the noisy, boisterous and energetic arrival of their friend, Tigger. The Tigger was, per usual, full of 'hail fellow, well-met, good cheer. "How's it going!"

"Fine, Fine, " said Pooh, airly, waving a hand in the air. "We were just investigating the arrival of a stranger to the woods.

"Maybe Eeyore's right and we should go back and inform Christopher Robin. Let him decide what we should do," Roo suggested.

"No. No," Pooh decided. "We've come this far. Let's keep going."

"Hmph, I don't see any snow on him," Eeyore grumped.

Roo grinned. "I guess the snow is falling pretty fast but not any faster the Tiggers."

"Come on, if whoever's out there isn't asleep already he's bound to have heard us."  
****  
The rider stirred in his sleep wondering if he'd been dreaming. He woke up suddenly thinking he'd heard voices. When he had regained full wakefulness and saw the small entourage heading in his direction he thought he was still dreaming.

There were four of them, a donkey, a stuffed bear, a small joey kangaroo and a tiger.

"What?"

"Hmph, not very articulate is he? I would like to revise my earlier assessment of being dangerous too.."

 

"Eeyore, that will be a start," said Tigger. "Let me do the talking."

"You can talk?" the rider exclaimed.

"Well, of course, we can talk, and I daresay a great deal better than you can apparently," Tiger replied huffily.

"But, but that's impossible. I can't believe I'm having this conversation."

"You are, Pooh said. "Now, please, if you will; who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I'm a courier. The Duke of the North's courier, to be exact."

"Oh," I am Roo," Roo said, approaching the man cautiously. Is Courier your name, then?"

"No, no, that's just a job description. My name is Ackerly."

"Nice to make your acquaintance, old bean," Tigger exclaimed. "My name is Tigger, that is Pooh, the old sour-puss is Eeyore and you've already meet Roo."

"Indeed," the man who called himself Ackerly replied, having come to accept this strange but wonderful encounter.

"How long will you be staying here?" Pooh asked.

"Oh, not long, I should imagine," replied Ackerly, wondering as he did so if the all the old rumors and wives' tales he'd heard as a boy and along his travels might have been true all along. That was a special kind of magic deep within the heart of the Hundred Acre Wood that made all of what he was experiencing and feeling right this moment possible.

"Just long enough to rest up and continue my journey. He smiled, "You know that old saying, I have miles to go and promises to keep. One of those promises involves getting a marriage slash treaty to the Governor of the South."

"Marriage?" Pooh asked. "What's that?"

Tigger bounced up and down. "I know, I know. But I shall not tell you for you the delicate ears amongst us."

"Would you stop that!" Eeyore muttered grumpily to the romping Tigger. Turning his attention to the Courier, he said: "I know what it means, too, but that isn't important right now. You've rested, do you require food or drink, Master Ackerly?"

"I have enough to finish the journey but I thank you for the offer and my horse, Melody, over there have enough, too."

"Then, you should probably be on your way," suggested Roo. I mean, it's not every day we get visitors in these parts, but it sounds like your mission is an urgent one."

Ackerly smiled. He didn't know how old the baby kangaroo was, but he'd been an uncle to his brother's children and even the circumstances were strange the little roo reminded him few his nephews. "I suppose I should."  
Ackerly got up and began to strike his camp. "Is there anything I can do for all of you?"

"Promise that you won't forget us." Pooh said.

"And while you're at, don't tell anyone else. It will be our secret," Roo added.

Ackerly placed a gloved hand on his chest and swore. "I Promise."

"Goodbye, Ackerly!" Roo cried as the human courier untied his horse, readied the saddlebags and untied the reins, then mounted in one smooth compact motion.

"Goodbye, Roo, Pooh, and Tigger, too, unable to let a slivery laughter out. "Good luck to all of you and thank you!"


End file.
